A mother's intuition...

If there was ever a person that KNOWS that mama knows best, it's Taylor Fouch.

A Bondurant-Farrar senior... a cheerleader... a Hy-Vee checker... an 5-foot-1 adorable cutie...

A survivor.

With all the attention being given this month to the pink ribbon, Taylor and her mother, Angie introduced me to their reason for supporting the grey version.

Rewind thirteen years.

Young Taylor was a Kindergartner.   Young and carefree like most little girls that age, she suddenly began developing headaches.   Three straight weeks she had been into see the doctor, and no definitive answers.

That's when Angie Fouch's gut told her to look deeper.

The third trip to the doctor was the straw that broke the camel's proverbial back as she then asked to see a specialist.

"That'll be about 3 weeks, Mrs. Fouch."

Like a mama bear fighting for her cubs, the normally soft spoken mother turned into Not-Gonna-Take-No-For-An-Answer Angie and a specialist was lined up from Nebraska.

In a whirlwind that saw what was the third visit for headaches, one WEEK later little Miss Taylor was on an operating table...  having a brain tumor removed.

Anyone that has had the pleasure of getting to know Angie knows she's about as nice and quiet of a person as you'll ever run across... and I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to throw her weight around when dealing with these doctors.   But I can tell you this... she's SO thankful she found the strength and the words because her little girl needed help... and she needed it quickly.

I'm happy to report that 13 years have passed and while she may be small and quiet, just like her wonderful mother... she's a fighter... and a survivor... and that's AWESOME in my book.

Back when all of this went down, Taylor picked up a special gift that's been with her every step of the way in this journey.  If you scroll down a ways, you'll see, fittingly... a tiny little dog named appropriately enough, Hope.  

Understandably, Taylor wanted some images taken with Hope.   And while Hope is tiny like her owner, she wasn't as quiet.... not on this day anyway!  :)

Taylor's father, Dave was in charge of bringing Hope to and from the session on this day... and evidently little Hope wasn't so comfortable with the idea of being out and about.   The poor little girl was shaking like a leaf and crying non-stop due to the change of environment.   Fortunately we were able to get a good image of the girls together... but it was a CHALLENGE to be sure.

That's okay though because as many of us have learned... life is never easy... or exactly what we plan it to be.   I noticed from the cross around Taylor's neck that her heart is in the right place... and I have no doubt that she has a perspective that's unlike a lot of 17 or 18 year old seniors that visit me regularly at the studio.   It's easy to coast through life... especially when you're young and seemingly invincible.  It's stories like Taylor's that remind me that we should never take any day for granted.

Thanks for the refresher course, Team Fouch.  ;)

Snap, Crackle, Pop: #Beals #boots and #bacon... the best ever.

I've tried to figure out how to avoid this all day... and the truth is... I cannot.

Sometimes you just have to give credit where credit is due no matter what the consequences.

Those that are unfortunate enough to follow my personal twitter and facebook accounts know there's a guy that out there that is my social media teammate... my partner in twitter crime... my hashtag soulmate, a lover of bacon and lamilube... a fellow member of the East Marshall valedictorian club... a guy that's taught me that country music and tractors are cool... and most importantly a brother in Christ on top of all of our silliness... it's none other than the guy I like to call Mack Daddy Johnson... Taylor Johnson.... an East Marshall and Stewart Photography alum from 2010.

A current decorated junior at the University of Northern Iowa, you might be wondering WHY this guy's name is being brought up when CLEARLY the pictures in this blog are NOT of a 6-foot-6 farm boy?

The deal is that BECAUSE of Mr. Johnson, I landed this senior girl from the other side of the county.

Long story as short as I can get it... Johnson and several of his East Marshall baseball teammates decided on a whim to send an olive branch of sorts to their rivals to the west in State Center three years ago by traveling to the home of our aforementioned senior gal, who has a brother that was a standout athlete for the Trojans.  Evidently, Team Johnson felt compelled to deliver rice krispie treats to the home of Tracey and Peggy Beals to make good on not sharing them during a Rose Festival tournament picnic earlier.

Moved by the gesture, Mama Peggy invited the entire van load of Mustangs into her Trojan home and instantly, a friendship was forged.

While she would have been an underclassmen at the time, daughter Sydney Beals has been friends with with Taylor ever since the rice krispie treat truce... so when it came time for HER senior pictures... she knew exactly what to do.

Listen to the advice of one Mack Daddy Johnson.

Taylor had told me that it was a POSSIBILITY that Sydney may be coming my way... but I took a I'll-Believe-It-When-I-See-It approach.

Then Peggy called... booked the session... and I KNEW what I had to do.

Syd and Peg walked in a couple Wednesdays back for their session... got their hands unloaded... showed me the outfits... and then it happened.

Peggy walked to the table in the front room... glanced up... and there they were.

You guessed it... Rice Krispie Treats.

Laughter rang out as Peggy realized what I had done... and she had only two words as a response.

"TAYLOR JOHNSON!"

She was right... the other half of the Fearless Twitter Duo had inspired me to pay it forward... and once again, the Beals family were the recipients of some Snap Crackle Pop goodness.

We were off to an epic start... and the session never let up the entire time.  I trust Taylor Johnson to the ends of the Earth and if he tells me that this gal and her family are the best thing this side of bacon laced rice krispie treats served at a Republican rally in the middle of a corn field... I believe him.

Truth is, the girls backed up everything he told me... because when they left... I felt like I had never been through a more rewarding session... ever.

Am I the king of hyperbole?  Perhaps... but if you mix in the FACT that during Sydney's session, I quite literally tripped over my own feet and twisted my ankle resulting in a horrific fall that saw my legs being bludgeoned, my camera nearly being destroyed and any semblance of a remaining ego being obliterated... you KNOW that it HAD to be an amazing session if after all of THAT... I didn't waver from my opinion.   If I'm going to embarrassingly wreck myself in a Marshalltown alley and end up on my back, I couldn't think of two better people to be standing over me concerned and exclaiming, "OH MY GOSH!  ARE YOU OKAY," than Sydney and Peggy Beals.

Battered and bruised... we returned to the studio to get a few more epic images of our girl who LOVED her boots (check 'em out... AWESOME!)... But before we did... we knew that one more image HAD to be done while we were out and about.

Taylor and I have joked for the past year or so that his folks, Steve and Barb Johnson, are the "gatekeepers" of LeGrand, Iowa.   Their property is nestled next to Highway 30 on the west edge of our hometown.  Our ridiculous theory is that the reason that our wonderful small town is "safe" from the problems that plague bigger towns is that the Johnson's decide who will or won't be allowed in the sacred gates of LeGrand...

If you're wondering right now about my sanity and my relative immaturity... you would be accurate on both hunches.  ;)

That being said... with a limp in my step... and an ornery grin on all of our faces... we stopped by the end of the epically long lane at the Johnson farm and we took the image that you see at the top of this blog.   Sure it was in full sun... and the WIND was blowing at a gale force... but no matter... a tip of the hat was owed to Mr. Johnson, and we did just that.   If you look closely, you can see Mama Johnson's vehicle (also known as the "Smart Van") in the background.  Fitting because THAT van was full of Mustang boys that had nothing better to do three years ago than to set the wheels in motion that ultimately led to Sydney Beals becoming MY friend for life as well.

Thanks to Taylor Johnson for being so much more to me than just a former senior client... and hats off to Team Beals for a day that I will never forget.

You guys are the best.

Ballin' with Team Wanatee...

I'm not sure I've ever had a session quite like this one.

One after another... they kept a comin'.

First up?  Not unusual... Mom.

Mama Heather had been in before... 2009... with her son Quinn... so we had met... and evidently I did something right... and they were back.  This time, with daughter, Megan.

I was familiar with Megan due to her membership on the girls basketball team that spent the lion's share of the season a year ago ranked as the top team in Class 3A in the state of Iowa.

I did the team pictures a year ago... and was at several games to watch the talented Trojans... and what I can definitively say is that Megan would have started for every other team in the North Iowa Cedar League a year ago.   A victim of a team that was loaded with talent that few ever see, Megan played her role as the first or second option off the bench with style and class, and I cannot tell you how impressed I was with her and her ability.

The true test of Megan's mettle came in the last game of the season... A four year senior starter tragically had her season come to an end with an Achilles injury.   Who did Coach Nate Roberts turn to?  Miss Wanatee.   With all the pressure in the world on her shoulders on every possession... No. 13 stepped up and boldly brought the ball up the court... every possession... like SHE belonged.   No fear.   Sure,  a 25-foot heave broke the hearts of the STC faithful as it found cotton at the buzzer...  But it wasn't because the new point guard crumbled in the heat of the moment.   I couldn't have been more impressed under the circumstances.

That bodes well for the upcoming season for the Trojans... In fact, I'd venture to say... that the rest of the NICL better lookout because she's been working her game all summer... and, call me crazy... but I'm guessing that she won't see ANYONE next year that is as tough as who she faced this summer.

Who did she square off with you ask?

You mighta heard of the guy.

Michael Jordan.

You read that right.   Only the best ever.   With all due respect to the gals that will D her up next season... I'm guessing she won't be intimidated after facing No. 23.

The story is... Megan went to Jordan's Flight Camp in California this summer... and somehow found herself locked up with His Airness in a game of Around the World.

Did you win?

"No."

How disappointing, Miss Wanatee!  ;)

Okay... I realize this blog has been derailed by my love of basketball... back to her session!

The story continues that Mama Heather... who coaches middle school volleyball... had to take off to run practice in mid session.   Who bailed her out?  Brother Thane.   Thane gave me a hand for an hour or so before we ran off for some fun urban and playground images in Marshalltown.  And while Thane loves his sister... he hadn't signed up for all of THAT!   So... just like Coach Roberts would call Megan's number off the bench last year... Papa Joe was called in as a final sub and we were off to M'town.

Mama, Brother, Papa... we got the full range of helping hands on this one... sandwiched around a bunch of hoop talk... and, of course... I saved the best for last as we did her STC and Iowa Attack uniforms at the finale' of her session.

Megan has been extremely patient in waiting for her images... just like she's been patient on waiting on her starting role.   I hope she loves her images... and I wish her all the best this season.   Pretty tough for me to compete with Michael freekin Jordan as the highlight of her 2012... but I'll accept a back seat to that guy if I have to.

Thanks Team Wanatee!

Another Amazing Mustang...

I know I've already said it before... but it's worth mentioning again.

I love this group of guys.

Used to be a time when getting 80 percent or more of the senior football players at East Marshall to come to Stewart Photography for their senior images would be an after thought for us.

The climate around photography certainly has changed things for every full time photographer in recent years... and so has the competition.   So when I glance at the picture of the senior guys now and see SO many familiar faces... I won't lie... It makes me feel great to be a fellow Mustang.

So when Brock Pieters became one of THIRTEEN senior football players in our camp... I was excited.   And when he told me that I was his first choice... I couldn't help but want to break my back for the guy.

Many of you may have already seen Brock and I's little gag from a couple weeks back where we dressed up like twins...  Well... let me restate that.  He dressed up like a DORK... and it happened to match what I wear every day at the studio.  It was Homecoming week at East Marshall... and it was "Twin Day" that he was missing... and I made sure he didn't miss a thing!   Thanks for playing along, bro... Good times.

Really the whole session was a good time...  Brock's mom, Tracy seemed tickled with the idea of missing a little work... Brock didn't mind missing a few classes... and it was a lot of East Marshall discussion per usual.

A lot has happened in the couple weeks since his session.  The boys got a thrilling 33-31 Homecoming win... and then faced the other end of the spectrum last week in a win they desperately wanted... but did not get.

The schedule gets considerably more difficult in the last three contests of the season for Brock and his teammates.  Perfect execution and perhaps a break or two will have to be in order for the Mustangs to grab that playoff bid that, even in it's new format, has eluded the district, in one form or another, for 20 seasons.

But you know what?  Even if it doesn't happen, this group of brothers has already done something that this alumnus won't soon forget...

They've never quit.

Sure... I'm guessing the guys would like a couple more W's on the left  side of the ledger... who wouldn't?   But after the program hit rock bottom a year ago at 0 wins... and 9 losses.... it would've been really easy for them... especially in close games... to take a look down at their jerseys... look around at each other... and figure... we're gonna lose.

Just like winning can become contagious at some schools... losing can infect a program... and a school... and dare I say... an entire community if someone doesn't stand up and shout at the top of their lungs that they've had ENOUGH!

There's a common bond among this group of guys... and that bond is that each and every one of them realizes... that Stewart Photography senior No. 14 never got the chance to get his senior pictures taken here.

I have little doubt that Mason was coming my way this fall for pictures... and every chance I've gotten... with the help of several guys that felt compelled to honor their fallen teammate, we've done just that.... honored his memory.

Brock's mom brought me a candid of her son and Mason shoulder to shoulder... Nos. 56 and 68...  like it should've been on the offensive and defensive lines this year.   Brock borrow Mason's old jersey... and I knew exactly where I was gonna go with this.  It's not the first time that I've sat here and cried through the creation of a tribute to Mason this fall... at least three times that I can recall already.   That's when I know I've done my best work...

It's my hope that despite having tremendous odds stacked against them in the games that remain... that the guys have saved their best work for last, too.  

Regardless of how things turn out, guys... you've brought discipline, respectability, and accountability back... and you will never be forgotten... Mason would be proud.

A call, a Corvette, a Cardinal and kid who loves the Black Keys...

I was working diligently late on a Friday morning... it was a couple hours 'till my 1 p.m. session, and then it happened.

The phone rang.

The gal on the other end was Nicki Eddy... mother of my 1 p.m. session, Taylor Eddy.

"We have a surprise coming... just wanted you to know."

Well... I was surprised, too, I guess... because what I didn't know... was that our senior fella has a serious love for all things Chevy Corvette.

So, the surprise was that a vintage Corvette was going to be brought down for the session... and Taylor didn't know it.

The ironic twist was, that I had seen this corvette MANY times, actually.  Why?   Because it sits just three houses down from my home in LeGrand, that's why.  That's not THAT ironic... but what IS is the fact that the guy providing the Vette.... was Allan Eddy.

Grandpa?  Uncle?  Distant Cousin?

None of the above.

Strangely, there's no relation there... just a coincidence, I'm told.   But my neighbor Allan, visited with his yellow corvette... and Taylor's day was made.

I learned of the depth and breadth of Taylor's obsession with the car make and model when he and his folks told me of their recent visit to Bowling Green, Kentucky to visit the very factory where Corvettes are minted!

It's that serious folks!

So while Taylor's session might not have been quite the thrill as seeing a sparkling new Corvette roll off the assembly line... it was close... and special thanks to Allan for taking the time to make someone's day.

There were a couple of other "obsessions" in Taylor's life that I found out about.  I guess if we back up a step... I was told on his way in the door that he had just finished up jamming out on his way over to some Black Keys.

Never being one to disappoint then... I created a Pandora station featuring his beloved Black Keys music and proceeded to get an education on all things regarding the band.

Finally, as a life long die hard Cubs fan... I had to save the worst for last...   That's right... the studio was infected by Taylor's love for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Why I needed some updating on the history of Corvettes and the Black Keys... one thing I didn't need reminded of, was the National League baseball team from the Gateway to the West.

My college roomy was a Cardinal fan... my first real job found me being ordered around by a Cardinal fan... those darn Redbirds are everywhere.   And when your own team hasn't won a World Series since 1908 and the rival has won the most in NL history?   Yeah... it's some serious pride swallowing time.

But... being the whore for profit that I am... I pulled up my bootstraps and made a couple killer images for our senior guy who, no doubt... is on the edge of his seat as I author this as his Cardinals are just one win away from sewing up yet another playoff spot... meanwhile my Cubs just lost their 100th game of the year.

Sigh.

Thanks for an educational session, Taylor... you aren't so bad... even for a Cardinal fan.  ;)